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Beth McWhirter started Mission Wear in August 2006. In the spring of 2005, she had mentored a woman coming out of prostitution and addiction—Carrie. Carrie was not able to find a job for several months. When Carrie relapsed back into the street life of doing drugs and turning tricks, Beth couldn’t help feeling like having a job might’ve helped make a difference in Carrie’s decision making.
So in early fall of 2006, when her 4 year-old twins started pre-school and she couldn’t stand the idea of using plastic bags any longer, Beth made a reusable shopping bag. It was then that she realized that making bags could be a job for women like Carrie.
It began as a small business started in her home with one employee. Dee was 45, had been a prostitute and drug addict for 20 years, and wanted to start life over sober. She had a little work experience and was eager to get a job. “I couldn’t believe she could trust me” Dee said of that first month of work with Beth—they tye-dyed the first batch and Dee even learned how to sew. She then went to work full-time doing food service for geriatric day care.
Since then, there have been about 23 women to come through employment with Mission Wear. There are 4-5 current employees at Mission Wear. They are working in a space downtown Denver with 3 industrial sewing machines. Almost all of the bags are made out of recycled and donated fabrics.
The women are all trying to get back on their feet after having been knocked back by some tough consequences: incarceration, addiction, homelessness, domestic abuse….
Mission Wear is a place for them to start over; feel the grounding force of employment as they begin to pick up their pieces and put everything back together.
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